Camp HalfBlood or Bust
by Nerdius
Summary: Brooklyn's just turned thirteen, and has found out she is a greek demigod. The only problem is she's on the other side of the country, and a land full of monsters that want her dead seperating her from the one place she will ever be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**HEY GUYS, I'M BACK. **

**It's been a loooong time since I posted a longer fanfic, but I never really had the heart or will to finish it and actually think of something for the characters to do. I'm going to delete Violet's story, and then restart it another day, but right now, I'm focused on this and two others I'm writing. **

**SO. I really hope you enjoy this! **

**Disclaimer: This will probably be one of the few times I will write this out (again, it's FANFiction. It's called that for a reason), but I don't own the Percy Jackson series. I only own my OCs.**

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><p>Life has a nasty way of surprising innocent children with the truth of the real world. You spend most of your young years believing the world is a fun, safe, beautiful place, then, <em>BOOM, <em>you're sent into a world of monsters to go die. Well, okay, not _all_ innocent children. Just the children of the gods.

I should probably stop right there, before I get ahead of myself.

My name's Brooklyn Smith. No, I don't live in New York, but Arizona. My dad is from New York, if it's any consolation. I'm a bit over thirteen years old, and I attend school at Vincent Park Public School (or, at least, I _did)._

My safe little world disappeared when a small brown package appeared on my doorstop. I know, it's a bit melodramatic, but it's true.

It all began a few days after my thirteenth birthday. I had already recieved all my gifts from my family, which was basically my father and aunt, so I had retired to the couch and was watching a rerun of one of my favorite shows on cable: _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. _The defendant had just be found guilty and they were reading off his punishment and jail sentence when the doorbell rang.

"Hey, Brooks," I heard my father call from his study, which was down the hall. "Can you get that? I've got to finish this, and I only have five minutes to do it." That's my dad, the procrastinator of the family. You'd expect it to be the kid with ADHD and dyslexia, not the single parent.

I got up from the couch and made my way to the door. I couldn't see anyone waiting for me when I looked through the small window at the top, and when I opened it, nobody jumped out at me. Instead, there was a small brown package, about the size of one of those Yankee Candles, a foot in front of me. It was wrapped in paper, like a present. I stared down at it, confused for a moment. If a delivery man had left it here, I should have been able to at least see its truck when I looked out.

After a few minutes, deciding that the mystery of how the box came to be would probably never be solved, I picked up the box. It was surprisingly light, even for its size. I gave it an experimental shake, like a little kid would do to its Christmas presents, and I heard the dull _thunk _of something small hitting the side of the box. When I turned it over in my hands, I saw that there was no address written on the box. Either the person who delivered this was _really _sure that this was the right house, or it was one of the anonymous gifts that people supposedly do.

"Brooks, what's up?" My father's voice brought me back to reality, and I stepped back inside the house, shutting the door behind me. I raised the package a little to show him what the bell was about, and he frowned. "What's that?"

"Expected you to know that, Dad," I said quietly, leaning against the door. My father moved into the kitchen, and gestured for me to take a seat on one of the stools next to the island. I obliged as he turned to the fridge and pulled out two cokes, setting them down for us both. He pulled a stool to the other side of the island and sat across from me. I set the box on the island and we both stared at it, taking sips from our beverages every few seconds.

"Address?" My dad asked me.

"None," I replied. "No sign that it was supposed to be given to anyone in particular. No delivery truck was in sight, or hearing, either."

"Must have been hand delivered," He mumbled. My dad grabbed the box and looked it over, muttering intelligible things under his breath. I guess I should take this time to mention that my dad is the head detective on the city's police force. He used to work for the NYPD, and had the chance to become their head detective. Instead, he moved to Arizona to be closer to my Grandmother, who looked like she used telegrams when she was a child.

Eventually, he put the package on the island with a nod. He seemed a tad paler than he was when he started observing it, but not by much. "It's safe, as far as I can tell," he told me as he got up from his stool. My dad crossed the room and took his jacket off the rack, beginning to get ready for work. "I've got to get going, you take that up to your room and open it. It's probably a late birthday present." He grabbed his car keys, and opened the door. "Be safe, love you."

"Love you too," I called out as he walked outside. I hadn't moved my stare from the box. I could tell my dad knew what was in it, and that it spooked him, but my dad was one of the toughest people I knew. And, packages just didn't randomly appear on your doorstep. There were a lot of missing links and pieces of information that just did not add up. But, everything somehow tied back to what was in the box.

I jumped off the stool, and grabbed the box, before sprinting to my room and leaping onto the bed. My mattress let out a pained noise as I landed on top of it, causing all the textbooks that were on it to fly onto the ground.

Re-positioning myself so I was sitting, I leaned against the headboard and cradled the package in my hands. I was having second thoughts about opening it. It had spooked my dad. Obviously, it was bad news and it was something I shouldn't have been messing with. If my dad was scared of it, that means it must be terrifying to a thirteen year old girl. But, somehow, I knew I _had _to open it now.

With a deep breath, I began carefully pulling the paper off of the box. I didn't want to damage the paper, for fear there might be something written on it. Once the paper was off, and I realized it was message free, I crumbled it up and tossed to the growing pile of paper in the corner. Now I had a simple cardboard box, that opened at one end. I quickly pulled it apart and turned it upside down. A necklace tumbled out.

This necklace wasn't your typical necklace. It was a leather band, large enough to slip over my head, and it was adjustable to my preference, which I thought was kind of cool. On the necklace was a single charm, a large steel disc that looked like a coin. It was misshapen, like before they had machines making the currency. On one side was a pair of swords, crossing in the middle and making an "X", while above that was a scale. When I flipped it over, I saw a weird inscription written on the other side. It was a single word, written in some weird language. Just looking at it, I could tell it was _Ancient. _But, the weird thing was, I felt like I knew what it meant, like it was on the tip of my tongue. I found myself rubbing the inscription, and a sad feeling rising into my throat.

The doorbell rang for the second time that day.

I jumped a little as the chime echoed through my empty house, then quickly got to my feet, putting on the necklace as I walked to the door. Nobody came to my house this often. The only visitors we ever got were my aunt from Chicago and my Grandmother. One person at the door was rare, but two was something of legend. But, apparently, legend felt like showing up today.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a delivery man. He was wearing a postman's uniform, with a mail carrier slung over his shoulder. Under his arm was a clothing box, and in his hand was one of those electronic signature tablets, with a strange looking stylus. He had curly black hair underneath his hat, and a crooked smile. The guy looked nice enough, so I didn't know why I felt the need to check my pockets to make sure nothing had been taken.

"Afternoon," He said with a grin. "Are you Brooklyn Smith?" When I nodded, he held the stylus and tablet for me. "Delivery from your mother. Sign here please."

My blood ran cold. _Mother?_

I grabbed the tablet out of his hand and hastily signed my name. The delivery man must have really rattled my brain, because when I went to return the stylus, I could have sworn it said something along the lines of "_Good __luck_". The man gave me my package, tipped his hat in a goodbye, and left. I closed the door slowly, and held the box in shaky hands.

My _mother _sent me this. The mother that was supposed to be dead. She died in a car accident when I was an infant. A drunk driver had crossed the median and hit her head on. She was killed on impact.

Or, at least, that's what I was told. This box was proof enough she was still alive.

I tore the box open, not treating it with the same care I did the other gift. I tossed the lid on the ground, and dug through the tissue paper. When I finally tore it all away, I saw a small, lightweight, athletic jacket. It looked liked an old fashion Adias jacket, black with three stripes going up the arm sleeves. But, where the brand symbol should have been was an "N". When I turned it around, there was the outline of folded bird wings on the back. I had no idea what was with the "N", and the bird wings just seemed incredibly out of place, but I felt something boil inside of me. Anger.

My mother had been alive, and she skipped out on twelve years of my life, only to give me a _jacket_ on my birthday. I really felt the love.

In frustration, I threw the jacket back in the box and hurled it at the couch. It landed silently, and I turned and marched out the door. This day had just been too weird for me, and fresh air always seemed to clear my thoughts and calm my hyperactive brain. And, boy, I needed some calming.

I lived in a more rural part of Williams, Arizona. There's a very small forest behind my house that I normally ended up exploring when my father was out. He always yelled at me for it, being a concerned parent and all, but this was my form of teenage rebellion.

The sun beat down mercilessly as I jogged to the forest's edge. My pace gradually slowed as a nauseous feeling swept over me. Something was telling me _not _to go into that forest. But, stupidly, I ignored it. I mean, I'd been going in there for as long as I could remember. It didn't scare me then, and why should it have scared me now?

As soon as I stepped into the shade of the trees, the temperature dropped about ten degrees to a wonderful, and tolerable, warmth. I smiled happily, closing my eyes and basking in the few rays of light that had penetrated the trees. I had the beginning of the forest mapped in my head. I knew every tree root, every bush, and where the few animals tended to hang out.

I don't know how long I had been walking when I eventually opened my eyes to see where I was. No, I was not lost. I had a perfect understanding of where I was, thank you very much. To the right was a small trail heading to a lesser dense part of the forest that I remembered biking down with my dad. To my right, the forest seemed to get darker, and looked a tad spooky. Till that day, I normally would've kept going straight, and end up relaxing by a small creek. If I was bored, I'd end up scaling the trees, getting steadily higher from the ground with each climb.

But, today, I wanted a small adventure.

I turned right, stepping over rocks and fallen trees expertly. Even if I hadn't been down that path, I'd had a lot of practice. As I walked, I began to wonder how long it had been since I left my house. As the forest got denser, it got darker. Almost no light was passing through the trees now, and the temperature had dropped significantly. Both seemed a bit odd, considering it was only the beginning of autumn, and I decided to head back.

When I turned around, I almost had a coronary.

None of the trees looked the same. What was behind me did _not _look like the scenery I've been passing. It was too dark, and too dense. The mold on the rocks had grown from a small amount to a giant freaking mass. The few plants that were no longer there.

I spun around in panic, trying to regain my surroundings. I didn't recognize _anything. _

Overhead, there was a loud cry. I looked up to see a large...thing...weaving through the trees. It let out the cry again, which I realized was similar to an eagle's call, and seemed to dive towards the earth.

Straight towards _me. _

I hit the deck just in time, but I could feel the eagle's claws pass over my head by inches. The bird let out a frustrated squawk, but I was already on my feet and running in a random direction, dodging trees like a pro. I could hear the eagle regaining its bearings and coming at me for a second blow. It soared into the sky and disappeared among the tree branches.

I stopped, and hide behind a tree, pressing myself to the trunk. I knew it was a terrible hiding spot, but this way I didn't have to worry about the bird coming from my back. I looked around wildly for anything that could be used as a weapon. A few feet away was a giant stick that I doubted I could lift, and next to that was a twig and a few rocks. Everything else was farther away and I cursed mentally.

The eagle's call came again. I looked around, and spotted it coming at me from the left. Its eyes burned with annoyance that I wasn't easy prey.

Cursing, I spun around to the other side of the tree, narrowly dodging the bird, and sprinted off again, only to be see there was a log in my way. It would take too much time to go around it. So, instead, I ran towards it, stepped onto the fallen tree, and pushed off with all my might, easily clearing a few feet, just as I heard the eagle's squawk again. It was much closer this time.

I landed with a thud, and stumbled forward, practically landing on my face. Maybe I _should_ have went around.

I tried to scramble to my feet, but a shadow passed over me. Something tightened its grip around my ankle. Before I could do anything, I was upside down and airborne.

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><p><strong>HERP, HERE WE GO.<strong>

**Aight, so, here's chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to try and finish chapter two over break (I have this entire week off, it's AMAZIN') but I can't make any promises. **

**IN THE MEAN TIME. YOU SHOULD READ SON OF NEPTUNE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFUL.**

**Personally, I prefer TLH, but that's just me. **

**Have you guys all read SON yet? ._. **

**Also, you should go read VIRALS, by Kathy Reichs. The second book came out recently. If you like Maximum Ride, and BONES, this is for you. **

**Okay, I'm going to go now. **

**-Juliette  
>Daughter of Hecate.<strong>

**(P.S. Thoughts on Brooklyn's parentage, and the jacket she got? :D)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Skeleton Saves the Day**

You'd imagine flying to be the time of your life, right? Wind in your hair, with a bird's eye view of the world.

Well, it's not all rainbows and unicorns when you're hanging upside, with all your blood rushing to your head, from the claws of a giant eagle that's taking you back to its nest in God-knows-where.

Yeah, that could dampen the experience a bit.

"Holy mother," I mumbled as I rose higher off the ground. We were above tree level now, and raising steadily.

I looked up at the bird, and glared. "Hey! Put me _down!_" I thrashed my free leg around, hoping to give it some injury. The bird let out a miffed noise, ans squawked at me. If I didn't know any better, I could've sworn it had a sarcastic tone to it.

"Great," I grumbled. "A bird with an attitude. Perfect. Now all I need is a giant flying whale to appear, and I'll be a classic Deryn Sharp." With an annoyed huff, I crossed my arms over my chest and stopped thrashing. Might as well get comfortable.

I didn't know how long it had been since I was whisked away, the sun had sunk quite a lot, but suddenly the bird lurched into a steep dive, causing me to scream. Next thing I knew, it was releasing my leg and I was falling through the air...

_THUD! _

I landed hard on my stomach. The wind was knocked out of me, and black spots appeared in my vision. It felt like I'd been hit by a truck that was going almost a hundred miles per hour. That had _hurt_.

Fortunately, the bird left. I could hear its wings flapping grow fainter, and then just complete silence. For the first time since I'd entered the woods, I'd felt relieved. At least it was gone, and I could leave this blasted forest. My dad must have called the house, and since I didn't respond, he was probably on his way home. I'd have to get back, fast, or he'd have a heart attack.

I got onto all fours, and my vision began to clear. When I lifted my head I came face-to-face with a human skull.

Stifling a scream, I threw myself backwards and scrambled away.

I looked around, and saw that I was sitting in the eagle's nest. In it were several bones, ranging from fibulae to humeri. Most looked small, like they never developed fully. So, I assumed they'd been children, which really didn't help me feel any better. Finally, the days I spent hanging out at the forensic labs at the police station were paying off.

I hear a cry from above, and saw that the eagle was circling back to the nest. Well, shoot.

As the bird drew closer, something snapped inside of me. There was _no way _I was going to die in some freaking, overgrown bird's nest. No way, no how. It was not happening. Turning, I grabbed a bone, a femur, and held it in my hand.

When the bird landed, I raised the bone over my head, like a baseball bat. It stared at me, a bit puzzled at first. It looked like he was surprised I wasn't cowering in fear on the other side of the nest. It let out a squawk, then cocked its head to the side.

"Hey, now," I said quietly. "Just let me go, and nobody gets hurt..." Well, except me. Maybe.

The bird shuffled, moving side to side. It's gaze turned from confused to annoyed, and when it squawked this time, he sounded _mad. _Whoops.

With a angry screech, the bird took to the sky again. This time, it didn't head off into the wilderness, but lunged for me. I dove to the side, but the bone I was using as a weapon flew out of my hand, and landed several feet away. I cursed at my stupidity. I should've held onto it tighter.

Before I could scramble to my feet, a shadow passed above me. I only had enough time to roll onto my back before there was one foot of the eagle pinning my down to the floor. Its amber eyes glowed at me with a strange hatred, and a disturbing hunger. Its beak was only meters from my face.

_Well, done in by a bird. _I thought to myself. _Will my dad ever find out what happened to me? __Or will I be the next Anastasia Romanov. Missing forever. _With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes, ready to face death...

Only it never came.

I heard the eagle give a triumphant squawk, and go for a killing blow, but then there was a bright light. It took me a moment to realize it was coming from the necklace I'd received earlier. My eyes flashed open, and I saw the bird looking around in confusion. Bones of its previous victims were rattling, and slowly coming together to form a body.

The eagle took its foot off of me and turned towards the skeleton, who was now picking up the bone I dropped and holding it like a sword. Without any warning, the two creatures lunged each other. I was amazed by the skeleton, who was now battling the eagle with stunning skill. Whenever it snap at him, he'd dodge and give it a quick clonk on the head, before returning to a defending stance. I was almost humiliated at the fact a pile of bones were doing better than me in a fight.

I think the skeleton figured out that his clonk and dodge wouldn't last much longer. So, when there was an opening for another blow, he swung _hard. _The eagle let out a pitiful squawk before stumbling around, dazed. I almost felt sorry for him...until I remembered that the bird was the reason I was in this mess. It shook out of its daze quickly, then snapped at the skeleton, grabbing him by the leg. Alarmed, Mr. Bones began banging away at its beak with his bone with renewed vigor.

I began looking around in the nest, for another weapon. I knew a bone wouldn't do. It was too blunt, which would be good for just annoying the bird.

Moving through twigs and other bones, I saw the sun glint against metal. I shifted through a few move leaves, and a skull, until I found a knife. The blade was eighteen inches, longer than your average kitchen knife. Its hilt was shining silver, and matched the ebony color of the blade well. When I picked it up, it felt even, and fit my hand perfectly.

"Wicked," I mumbled. Behind me, the eagle let out a muffled squawk, jarring me back to reality.

Scrambling to my feet, I lunged towards the bird. It didn't pay much attention to me, but that all changed when I stabbed it. With one horrible screech, it dropped Mr. Bones and pecked down at me. Amazingly, I managed to roll away, get to my feet, and slash its chest before it recovered. Instead of spouting blood, the bird stiffened, and green dust poured out of the wound. It smelled awful, and covered me from head to toe. This would _definitely _mess with my allergies. I could already feel a sneezing fit forming.

I turned to check if Mr. Bones was okay, keeping my grip on the dagger. He was grabbing a few ribs that must've snapped off when he landed and adjusting them back into place. _Okay,_ I thought. _I've seen it all. _He looked up at me, and cocked his head, waiting for me to say something. I rubbed the back of my head and mumbled, "Guess I should've waited to kill him, eh? Now we have no way down...I wo-_AGH!"_

I never got to finish my sentence. Mr. Bones had lunged at me, tossing me over his shoulder like a rag doll. Before I could protest, he was jumping over the side of the nest, catching a branch as we fell.

_Oh my god,_ I thought, shutting my eyes. _Don't look down. Don't look down. You'll scream or barf...or both. And that will _not _be good._

The skeleton scurried down the tree like a squirrel, and deposited me none too gently onto the ground. I landed on my back, and groaned.

"Are you alright?" A voice said. I sat bolt upright, ignoring the small feeling of pain that flashed through me. Where Mr. Bones had been standing was now a ghost. He looked about my age, a bit older if anything. Everything about him seemed muted, his hair, which seemed to be black when he was living, now looked like a dull gray. His clothes were a bit older, maybe early or late eighties. Around him was a faint silvery light.

"You're a ghost," I mumbled. "Okay, I'm insane. First giant birds, then a skeleton saved my life, and now aforementioned skeleton is now a ghost who is _talking to __me_."

The ghost snorted, "Well, excuse me for being concerned for your well being." He crossed his arms over his chest, and looked very annoyed. "I only just saved you from the damn Caucasian Eagle. The least you could do is say thank you. Don't they teach kids manners these days?"

I sighed. I knew I was being rude, and he had a point. "Look, thanks for saving my life. It's just been a long, confusing day, and this isn't making it much better. This morning I didn't believe in ghosts. So, I'm sorry, alright?" He seemed to deflate a little. "I really appreciate you not leaving me there for the bird to have as a after lunch snack. Now, what's your name?"

"Rodney," The ghost said. "Rodney Geyser. I used to live around here, until I...you know...kicked the bucket." He gestured vaguely towards the eagle's nest and I winced. Done in by a bird seemed like a bad way to go out. "That was actually my dagger you used to kill it, so..." He shrugged. "Thanks for avenging me."

"Hey, no problem," I looked at him curiously. "But...why would a kid have a dagger? I mean, it was, what, the 80's when you died? Didn't they have permits on weapons, or was that just a recent thing?"

The ghost, _Rodney_, laughed. "Oh, we did. But they didn't apply to me, and a ton of other kids. See, I'm a demigod. Just like you."

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><p><strong>Okay, woo. <strong>

**Sorry guys for the long wait, and the short chapter. I got a major case of writer's block, and then school, and then I was just flat out lazy. I'm making no promises that the next chapter will be out soon, but I will assure you it will be out eventually. You have my word on that. I feel that, once I get to a certain part, that everything will become a bit more easier to write. So, la di da. **

_**Nov - **_** Well, here's the more you wanted. Pardon the terribleness, it's, like, 6:02 in the morning, and I haven't slept at all. (In my defense, as soon as I got home, I fell asleep and woke up at seven, so.)**

**_geekyxchild - _It's good to be back! I missed writing FanFiction. **

**Expect the next chapter sometime!**

**-Nerdius**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: I hang out with a dead guy**

I stared at Rodney, and then laughed.

He sputtered, incredulous, but I was laughing to hard to see his true reaction. I might have been hysterical, but the way he said "_I'm a demigod_" all serious was hilarious. Like he expected me to have some big revelation when he told me. Sorry to disappoint, dear ghost.

After I managed to regain composure, I asked, "You _really _expect me to believe that? Come on, man, there are three reasons that's totally incorrect." I counted on my fingers, "One, demigods are people like Perseus, Hercules, not thirteen-year-old girls from _Boresville_, Arizona. Two, not only were they in Greece, but, like, a bazillion years ago, and Three, _those are myths_. There's no way any of that was true, they just needed to explain natural events, like rain and all that." I shook my head, "Are you sure dying didn't mess you up mentally?"

Rodney raised an eyebrow. "You were kidnapped by a gigantic bird, used a dagger made of Stygian Iron, and when you stabbed said bird it exploded into dust. A skeleton, who is now a ghost, carried you down an enormous tree, and is now talking to you. Did you know ghosts are also used to explain weird occurrences?" He spread his arms and shook his head. "I know it's hard to believe, trust me it took me while to get used to it too, but the evidence is piled against you, and I believe you know that."

And I did. I just didn't want to admit it.

"Besides," He continued. "You wear the mark of Nemesis on your necklace. That should've been clue enough that things were about to turn South."

"Whoah, wait," I frowned. "Nemesis? Like, _archnemesis?_"

"No, _Nemesis_. She's the goddess of revenge and balance, but she's also the avenger, and punisher, of crime. I wouldn't expect her to be taught in schools nowadays, as they didn't teach my generation anything about her. She's a minor goddess, ignored really." He shrugged. "Anyways, you're wearing her mark, the scale on your necklace. Chances are that she's acknowledged you, and claimed you as her daughter."

My frowned deepened. Acknowledge me? What, did she _forget _about me for twelve years? I almost didn't realize Rodney was still talking, and quickly zoned back in.

"But, luckily, you don't have to worry about the same monsters as opposed to a Child of Zeus. Though, now that you _know _you're a demigod, you're just as at risk as a regular Olympian kid. Which means you need to hightail it to New York. There's a camp there for kids like you, other demigods. You can train there, learn to survive, and then come back to Arizona for the school year."

"Hey," I broke in. "I'm thirteen-years-old. You expect me to travel across the United States just to go to a camp?"

Rodney thought for a moment then said, "Well...there's a camp in California...but the moment you step foot in there, they'd probably kill you."

"Well I've always wanted to visit New York," I mumbled. Then, I spoke up a bit louder. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, I mean I would be dead right now if it hadn't been for you, but _why_ exactly are you helping me? I mean, Nemesis isn't the goddess of the dead or anything, so..." I trailed off, and then shrugged. He seemed to get what I was asking and nodded.

"When I was alive, I made a deal with Nemesis. I asked a favor of her on a quest, and she, in return, said that the only way my debt to her will be repaid was if I managed to help one of her children. When I died, and my debt was not fulfilled, it followed me into the death," He explained. "But, when you came along, my spirit was forced back into the living world to settle it."

I didn't know how to respond to that, but, fortunately, Rodney pressed on.

"Anyways," He continued. "You should keep that dagger. I can show you a quick offensive and defensive move, but that's about it. I'm not sure how much longer my spirit can stay in the living world, so we need to get to work."

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><p>We trained for almost two hours, and by that time, the sun had nearly fallen past the horizon, and I was battered, beaten, and bruised enough for a small army. Even though I was just a new demigod, Rodney took no pity on my training. When he finally called for a rest, I was drenched in sweat.<p>

"You should head back to your house," He told me. "Spend a few more hours with your dad, then head off around midnight." He was quiet for a while, but, then he added, "I have to go back to the Underworld now. I can feel my presence being called back." Rodney looked at me, smiling weakly. "Now, when I get back to Elysium, I don't want to find you there waiting for me."

It took me a minute to register what he was saying. I jumped to my feet and almost shouted a protest, but then I saw Rodney's expression. It was wistful, almost longing. That's when I realized how terrible it must've been to be forced back into the mortal world after spending god (or...well...gods, I guess) knows how long in the Underworld. Old memories must've been brought back up to the surface, both good and bad. Plus, he probably had friends down there...

I sighed, and then forced a smile. "I don't plan on it. See you in a few sixty years."

Rodney laughed, but it seemed faded, as did his image. He looked at me one last time, and mouthed one last farewell before vanishing completely, leaving me alone in night.

_Goodbye and good luck._

I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the spot where he'd just been standing. I clenched my dagger tightly, before muttering a bitter curse and sheathing it. His last wish was for me _not _to meet him in the Underworld, which meant not dying. If I wanted to do that, I had to get to this Camp as soon as possible.

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><p><strong>Short chapter is short. It's not even 1500 words. The next one will be longer, I promise. <strong>

**In any case, how'd you guys like this one? The wait wasn't as long as it was before. **

**But...then again...it's much shorter. **

**-Jules **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Goodbye**

The sun had pretty much set by the time I got back to my house. One by one the street lamps began to turn on, and nobody seemed to be on the road. I was kind of curious to what people were thinking about me. I was probably covered in mud, and looked like I just got into a wrestling match with a wild boar. When I saw a curtain draw closed, I assumed that I must have looked pretty darn terrible. My dad was going to freak, if he wasn't already.

As I made my way to my house, I realized I still had the dagger I'd killed the giant bird with in my hand. I couldn't come into my house holding _that!_ I looked around, hoping for a place to hide it, and finally decided on a set of bushes on the side of my house. I could get it back when I went to leave that night.

I hadn't even knocked on the door when it swung open. My dad was standing there, looking quite annoyed, almost angry. I stared at my shoes, inspecting the dirt on them. If I acted tired and sorry (which I was) then he'd probably give me no punishment.

We stood there, facing each other, for almost ten minutes. I could feel his eyes glaring at the top of my head. However, before I could open my mouth to apologize, he hugged me.

"I was so worried," His voice was barely a whisper. He held me at arms length, kneeling down in front of me. "Are you okay? Where were you? What happe-"

"I'm _fine_," I interrupted with a nervous laugh. "Just tried climbing a tree. Fell out." I managed a small smile. "Guess I'm no Katniss Everdeen, huh?" My father groaned, and hugged me again. After a few seconds, I hugged him back. "Sorry I worried you," I mumbled into his work jacket.

Rodney's voice echoed in my head_, "You should head back to your house. Spend a few more hours with your dad, then head off around midnight._"

I glanced over my dad's shoulder to the clock on the wall. Almost eight. I only had four hours left with my dad before I had to run away and go on a journey I may very well die on.

That's when all the exhaustion, the terror from what had just happened, and what I was about to do, _everything _came crashing down. I couldn't stop myself as I started to cry, almost sobbing into my dad's jacket. How was I supposed to cross the country? Me? A thirteen-year-old girl who has never even left her home state? Not to mention, I didn't inherit any magical powers from my missing parent who ended up being a was the goddess of _revenge_. How handy would that be while I fought my way to New York?

My father smoothed my hair down, which was no doubt sticking up at ungodly angles. "Hey, Brooks, it's okay," he assured me. "Come on, get inside. I'll make you some hot chocolate, the one your aunt makes whenever she comes down." I nodded, and we walked inside together. My father immediately started filling the kettle with water while I laid down on the couch. Once it was done, my father poured some into a cup and gave it to me. I sipped it absently.

"So, you want to tell me what happened," My father asked. I looked up at him, and knew I couldn't tell the truth. He wouldn't believe me. However, I could just say _no_ as well, considering I came in and started sobbing. Plus, saying a flat-out lie was not going to work.

"I got really lost in the woods." Now, that was not a _complete _lie. I did, in fact, get really lost. "Took a few wrong turns, and got really scared. I thought I was going to get stuck there for the night, but I stumbled my way out just as the sun had started to set, but I was practically on the other side of the forest. Took me a little while to get back here." I attempted to smile. "Really tired, is all."

He didn't believe me completely, that much was obvious, but, thankfully, he didn't pry. Instead, he said, "Well, next time, you'll hopefully think twice about going into the woods. Now, come on, there's a Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy, and that's classic television. Your generation needs it." He nudged me softly, and I moved over a bit so he could join me on the couch. Immediately, he snatched up the remote, and collapsed next to me. He turned on the Syfy Network and grinned, "I remember this one! It's Talky Tina!"

I nearly choked on my tea. "_What?" _My father just chuckled, and gestured to the TV. On the screen was a creepy porcelin doll that I assumed was 'Talky Tina'. Twilight Zone was kind of weird. I don't know why my father liked it so much. I looked up at him, and saw the big goofy grin he was wearing as he watched the black and white program. If I was going to leave tonight, I might as well spend every last minute of it making my dad happy.

"Hey Dad," I mumbled. He turned to me with an eyebrow raised. "You know that I love you, right?"

He frowned, "Brooklyn, are you alright? How badly did that forest shake you up?" When I didn't respond he sighed, and smiled softly. "I love you too, Brooks, don't forget it, alright?" I nodded, then he turned back to the telecvision screen, re-entering the Twilight Zone.

* * *

><p>It was almost one in the morning by the time I was sure my father was asleep. Together, we watched three more episodes of Twilight Zone before I declared I was tired (which I was) and took a quick shower before heading into my room and curling up under the covers of my bed with my eyes wide open. My mind was racing, planning what exactly I would have to take with me, how I would get started on this stupid adventure, I barely noticed the TV turn off and my father stumble to his room, that was at the end of the hall.<p>

I didn't move until I heard his snoring echo through the halls. For once, I was thankful for how soundly he slept. It would make sneaking out a lot easier.

The first thing I did was change. I couldn't go out wearing my pajamas. I needed to be prepared for whatever nature throws at me.

I ended up wearing a pair of darker jeans, and a black and white stripped shirt with sleeves that went down to my elbows, and my hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which was also tucked under a black baseball cap. I also had a pair of black running shoes, because I figured I'd be doing an awful lot of walking. Over my shoulder was the green backpack that I normally used for school. Before I left my room, I grabbed my wallet and pulled out the shoe box under my bed where I kept all of my money. I'd been saving up for a new laptop, but this was more important. I counted up three hundred dollars and seventy six dollars in total. It would have to do.

Quietly, I walked out into the kitchen area. I filled my backpack with some food, all packaged stuff so it wouldn't go bad while I made my way to this Camp, along with a few water bottles, plus a first aid kit and other things I figured I might need on the quest. On the wall there was an envelope filled with money that we normally used to pay the pizza man. I grabbed that too, which added another ten dollars to my fund.

Right before I entered the garage, I noticed something sitting on the ground next to the couch. It was the jacket I'd gotten that morning , still inside the box. I walked over and picked it up. My mother sent this to me. She knew I'd being going on this quest somehow. She must have sent this to for a reason.

I slipped it on, then headed into the garage. My bike was leaning against the far wall, my skateboard sitting right beside it. I grabbed it, and began to rearrange my stuff in my bag. I could put the board in it, with the top half sticking it, and then just ride my bike until something happened to it. With a deep breath, I opened the garage door, and walked my bike out. I put up the kick stand, and went to retrieve my dagger from the bushes.

I was about to mount the bike when I realized something. I couldn't leave like this. My father would alert the police, and they wouldn't stop until I was found. Then, they'd just bring me back home, and we'd have to go through this all over again.

Dropping my stuff, I ran back into my house, and grabbed a sheet of paper off the counter, and looked around for a pen. When I found one, I quickly scribbled a note.

_Dear Dad, _

_I didn't tell you everything about what happened in the woods. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, but here's the truth. In the woods I found out I was a demigod, a child of a mortal (you) and a Greek god or goddess. Mom didn't die in a car crash, which I'm pretty sure you know. She's alive, and she's Nemesis, the goddess of Revenge. _

_But, what you didn't know is that, there are monsters in this world too. Monsters that will stop at nothing until it catches a demigod and kills him or her. Being here is putting you, and me, and a lot of people in danger. I can't let anybody get hurt because of me. _

_There's a camp for demigods. It's in New York. I know it's probably simpler just to board a plane, but I can't risk it. There might be a monster attack, and I'll have nowhere to run and mortals would get hurt, and there would just be a lot of trouble. If I go over land, I'll have a better chance, though not by much. I have a pretty good chance of dying on this adventure, and if I manage not to, I'll make sure to send word. But, if it gets to be a year before I've contacted you, you have to assume I'm dead. _

_However, I need a favor. Think of it as a last request, in case I _do _die. I need you not to tell anybody I left. Just lie and say I went up to live with Aunt Nina, because I wanted to go to this fancy magnet school or whatever. Just _don't _tell anyone I've gone. They'll bring me back, and then we'll just have to go through this again. _

_Don't forget that I love you, Dad. But you're in danger around me. Right now, neither of us are fit enough to take on a Greek monster, which is _why _I'm doing this. I'm going to this Camp, I'm training, and then I'll come home. I promise._

_I love you. Pass that on to Gran and Aunt Nina, alright? _

_Goodbye_

_-Brooklyn_

I wiped a tear away before it could fall on the paper, and put it on the island. With a shaky breath, I ran into the garage long enough to close the door, and grab a map of the continental US and a compass, before heading back outside and mounting my bike.

After consulting my map, I figured I'd need to head North East. Using the compass, I kicked up the kickstand and started pedaling towards New York.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay don't hate me. <strong>

**This chapter was really hard to write, and I've been trying to avoid it as much as possible. **

**But, here's the long awaited fourth chapter of Camp HalfBlood or Bust! Brooklyn is finally on here way to Camp! **

**I'll start the next chapter after I update _The Odds Have Never Been Very Dependable._**

**-Jules**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: I stupidly send an e-mail**

I woke up to the disgruntled face of a McDonald's employee. He let out an annoyed grunt when he realized I was awake, and then went back to mopping the floor. I yawned loudly, and stretched, rubbing the back of my neck. My backpack and skateboard shifted next to me. Note to self: sleeping in a McDonald's booth is not the comfiest place.

It was the morning after I left my house in Arizona, and I'd managed to bike my way to into the heart of the city without too much trouble. I hadn't spotted any monsters since the eagle, but I did receive strange, sometimes even disgusted, looks from people. I couldn't blame them, though. I've been sleeping in whatever shade I could find, and I hadn't taken a shower since I'd left.

With a wince of embarrassment, I wiped some drool off of the corner of my mouth. It took me a moment to realize I'd fallen asleep while looking at a map. Some of the routes were now smudged, but, thankfully, it wasn't that bad. I could still make out what I had circled the previous night, an Amtrak station about which was about two hours away. Or, at least, that's what I thought.

In any case, I needed to get moving to that Amtrak.

I checked the wall clock. It read 9:48. I'd gotten almost three and half hours of sleep. That was more than I had gotten in the past two days.

Before I left, I bought a small fry and coke. The people let me sleep there, so it was only right to contribute to their business, you know? Plus I was kind of peckish, and I hadn't eaten since yesterday. I needed save the food I had.

After eating, I jogged outside, unlocked my bike from the rack, and started pedaling off towards the Amtrak.

* * *

><p>"Your train leaves in an hour, ma'am," The cashier said with a smile, handing me my ticket. I smiled back, and thanked her before walking away from the counter so another person could purchase their ticket. I had just bought my seat on the greyhound heading to Lamar, Colorado. It costed almost all of my savings, but it was worth it. It would get me into another state, and one more closer to New York.<p>

After buying my ticket, I decided to head to the library. I kind of wanted to do a bit of research about all this Greek stuff I now had to face so I wasn't completely oblivious. Plus, I wanted to get a hold of my dad. I wanted to send him an e-mail, so he would know that I was okay, because, by now, he'd already found the note. It probably wasn't a good idea, but it just seemed right.

It didn't take long to reach the library, considering I'd biked there. I locked it outside the door, before jogging inside. Fortunately, there were a lot of kids there, doing their summer assignments at the last minute. I would blend right in.

There was a computer open near the back of the library, and I snatched it up right before some sophomore. She glared at me as I sat down in the wooden chair with a smirk. _You snooze, you lose, _I thought as I booted up the computer. Instantly, something churned in my stomach, but I ignored it.

First thing I did was print out the route the Greyhound would be taking. Second thing I did was pull up Gmail and log into my account. My stomach churned again, but I gritted my teeth. I was probably hungry, but I wanted to save my food. Ignoring the churning again, I opened up a new e-mail and quickly typed out a message to my dad.

**Hey, Dad,**

**I'm okay, or, at least, so far. I just wanted to tell you that. I'm heading into Colorado in about an hour. Where, I'm not going to say. I'm trusting that you haven't alerted your police buddies yet, but I know, if you knew where I was heading, you'd get in a cruiser and high-tail it there to pick me up, which would totally defeat the purpose of my leaving in the first place. Just saying. **

**Anyways, I hope you're doing well. Oh, and I wanted to tell you that Mom (Nemesis) didn't just send me on the quest empty-handed. She gave me a jacket, what it does, I don't know yet. I guess we'll find out soon enough! **

**I'll send you another e-mail when I get closer to New York. **

**Love you, **

**Brooklyn **

I reread the e-mail twice before deciding it was good enough to send to my dad. The moment I hit the button, my stomach plummeted. I felt an icy chill on the back of my neck. _What the hell, _I thought with a frown. _Er, well, what the Hades? _

Okay, so, I wasn't used to having to substitute my usual curses with polytheistic friendly ones. Could you really blame me?

With the tasks I set out to do completed, I logged off the computer and started gathering up my stuff. The moment my butt left the chair, I was practically being shoved out of it by a scary looking senior. I tossed a glare over my shoulder, and stuck out my tongue. If I met him a few days ago, I would've been terrified. However, after the giant eagle, I was pretty sure I could take him if I wanted to. Which I really didn't, so I decided to get the hell - hurk - get the _Hades _out of there.

Right as I left the library, I checked the time. I had about thirty minutes until the train was ready to leave. Figuring I'd better hurry up and skedaddle over there, I grabbed my bike and started pedaling towards the train station.

And that's when I heard the screech.

* * *

><p><strong>Really <em>really really <em>short chapter, and I feel terrible about making you guys wait so long for such a shitty chapter and alksjlakdjalkdja. **

**But, good news, you get to see Brooklyn be a badass and fight a monster in the next chapter, so that's always good, right?**

**Also, little fun fact for you guys, I'm actually on Wattpad! My username is the same as over there. So, fan me if you want or whatever. :3**

**Again, I apologize to the amount of terrible that is this chapter. **

**-Jules**


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